Cooper Flagg wins Rookie of the Year over former teammate Con Knuppel
In a close contest, Cooper Flagg defeated former Duke University teammate Conn Knuppel to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award for the 2025-26 season.
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Monday, April 27, 2026 Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
Flagg won a close battle for the award, finishing ahead of Con Knuppel of the Charlotte Hornets. Flagg received 56 first-place votes and a total of 412 points, while Knuppel received 44 first-place votes and a total of 386 points. The 26-point difference between the two is the second smallest between the top two since the current voting format began in 2002-03, second only to the narrow 15-point difference Scottie Burns had over Evan Mobley to win the award in 2021-22.
VJ Edgecomb of the Philadelphia 76ers finished third with 96 points and one second-place vote.
Flagg joins two other NBA icons in winning Rookie of the Year honors.
He is the second-youngest winner (19 years, 112 days old as of April 12, the final day of the regular season) after LeBron James (19 years, 106 days old in the 2003-04 season). He joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead the team in total points (1,473), rebounds (466), assists (316) and steals (84) since steals were first recorded in 1973-74.
“This is truly a huge honor. I’m grateful to receive this award and I’m grateful to everyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization for believing in me from day one,” Flagg said. None of this would happen without my teammates, coaches, and people around me pushing me every day. I came here to compete and help this team win. This is just one step forward in what we are building. ”
Flagg was selected No. 1 overall by the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft. They were 24th in the league in points per game.
He played as a point guard at the beginning of the season and had to show his versatility, but was eventually converted to forward after Anthony Davis was traded.
cooper flag stats
Flagg played in 70 games and finished the regular season with averages of 21 points (tops among all rookies), 6.7 rebounds (fourth among rookies), and 4.5 assists (second among rookies). He shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from the 3-point line.
On April 3, he scored a career-high 51 points against the Orlando Magic, making him the youngest player in league history to score at least 50 points in a game at 19 years and 103 days old. Flagg also became the first rookie to score at least 40 points in four or more games since Allen Iverson in 1996-97.
Past NBA Rookie of the Year winners
- 2026: Cooper Flagg, DAL
- 2025: Stephon Castle, SAS
- 2024: Victor Wenbanyama, SAS
- 2023: Paolo Banchero, Otorhinolaryngologist
- 2022: Scotty Barnes, TOR
- 2021: Cho State LaMelo Ball
- 2020: Ja Morant, MEM
- 2019: Luka Doncic, DAL
- 2018: Ben Simmons, PHI
- 2017: Malcolm Brogdon, Michigan
- 2016: Karl Anthony Towns, Minnesota
- 2015: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
- 2014: Michael Carter Williams, PHI
- 2013: Damian Lillard, BY
- 2012: Kyrie Irving, CLE
- 2011: Blake Griffin, Lackland State
- 2010: Tyreke Evans, SAC
